Graduate
Department of Political Science
University at Buffalo, SUNY
520 Park Hall (North Campus)
Buffalo, New York 14260
Phone: 716-645-3441
Fax: 716-645-2166
Prof. Harvey Palmer, Director of Graduate Studies, hpalmer@buffalo.edu
Jeanine McKeown, Graduate Coordinator, mckeown3@buffalo.edu
For questions about the graduate program, please email your questions to pscigpro@buffalo.edu
General information about our Graduate Programs
A variety of graduate programs leading to an M.A. or Ph.D. degree in Political Science are offered by the Department of Political Science at the University at Buffalo. These programs are designed to meet the needs of students with differing interests and career orientations.
Traditionally, the Ph.D. has been the degree required for those planning a career in teaching and research at the college or university level. For this purpose, the Department's Program provides an introduction to the various fields within Political Science, grounding in the intellectual and analytical traditions and practices of the discipline, and specialization within selected sub-fields. Fields of study at the graduate level are American politics, comparative politics, international politics, methods of inquiry, and public law. The first three fields are regularly available as major fields in the doctoral program. The latter two are not regularly available as major fields and require special prior arrangement. Interested students should inquire about the availability of faculty and courses in these two fields at the time of application to the program.
The Department's doctoral program now affords, in combination with work taken in other disciplines or subject specialties, an entry into other career paths as well. For example, the Department sponsors, with the faculty of Law and Jurisprudence, a dual M.A./J.D. and Ph.D./J.D. programs in Political Science and Law. This program develops competencies appropriate to a broad range of career interests.
The Master's degree similarly may serve quite diverse purposes related to intellectual development and to both academic and other professional career goals.